


The River Between Us

by romeoandjulietyouwish



Series: Big Fish [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fighting, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Peter Parker is a Mess, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Yelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:33:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22285660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romeoandjulietyouwish/pseuds/romeoandjulietyouwish
Summary: Tony and Peter can't stop fighting.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Big Fish [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1378381
Comments: 23
Kudos: 262





	The River Between Us

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the song The River Between Us from the musical Big Fish
> 
> I back at it with this series!!!

They’re fighting. Again. This time it’s Peter’s fault and he knows it. But that doesn’t stop him from fighting back, from yelling back. They shout and shout until their voices are hoarse and Peter has tears spilling down his cheeks. Tony is just fine. 

For the first time in four months, Tony finally allowed Peter to come on an Avengers mission with them. Peter thinks it was meant to be a peace offering after their last fight. It was supposed to be easy, a quick in and out. It wasn’t supposed to end in a big fight. But it did. Somehow someone got intel on them and the other side came prepared. More prepared than them. 

As soon as the fighting began, Tony ordered Peter to stay in the quinjet with Bruce and stay safe. “This isn’t your fight, kid,” Tony said, placing a gentle hand on Peter’s chest to hold him back.

“You said I could help!” Peter snaps, his mouth turned into a deep frown. 

“That was before this turned into life or death,” Tony’s voice was stern by calm. “Stay. Here.” Tony sighed, “I love you, Pete.” Peter didn't respond. Tony turned around and flew away. Peter tore his mask off with a frustrated groan, sending his foot into the side of the quinjet. His first mission with the Avengers and his dad forced him to sit it out. It wasn’t fair. Natasha and Clint got to fight and they’re not even enhanced!

“Peter,” Bruce said calmly, interrupting his anger. The gentleman offers Peter a small smile, “I know you’re upset, but you can still help, okay? If you turn on your comms you’ll be able to hear everything.” Bruce sighed, “I know it’s not what you want, but it’s something.”

“Thanks, Bruce,” Peter says softly. It’s better than nothing. 

So he sat down and accepted it, tapping his comms twice to listen in. He sat down on the jet listening to his dad and the others banter during the fight. It was relaxing to hear that they were all okay and at least until he heard something through his comms. “Tony!” Rhodey called. “Watch out! On your eight!”

Then he heard a loud impact and his dad cried out sharply. 

“Dad! Are you okay?” Peter jumped to his feet. All that came back to him was static. Peter’s heart thundered in his chest like a drum, echoing in his ears. His dad was hurt. He didn’t even get to say goodbye or that he loved him. The last thing he did was yell at him. So without even thinking, Peter tugged his mask on and jumped out the door, ignoring Bruce’s calls after him. 

The sun beat down on the fight, above him, he saw Wanda zoom past, two enemies trapped in her red magic. This fighting was so loud, feet thundered on the ground, screams echoed through the air, and metal clashed against each other. He quickly commanded Karen to dull his senses and he was off. Peter swung through the battlefield, scanning the ground for his dad. As he swings, he smashed his feet into a few faces, relying mainly on his spider-sense to keep him alive. All he wanted to do was find his dad. 

Then someone tapped him on the shoulder, Peter’s spider-sense didn’t warn him so he immediately jumped three feet in the air, not even stopping the scream that came from his throat. He whirled around to find Iron Man staring down at him, metal slitted eyes seeming ever more intense and angry than usual.

“Dad!” Peter nearly sobbed in relief. His dad was okay and he was-

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!” Tony shouted as his mask retracted. “I told you to stay put!”

“I thought-” Peter shrunk in on himself. 

“This is too dangerous for you, I’m taking you back to the quinjet,” Tony said, his voice cold. “Now. We’ll discuss this later.”

With a huff, Peter attached a web to the Iron Man suit and allowed his dad to take him back, knowing that fighting now will only make it worse later. And he’s right. Because as soon as they got home, all hell breaks loose. 

“What the hell were you thinking!” Tony stands above where Peter sits on the couch gesturing wildly. Peter’s head is down, looking at his lap. “You could have died Peter! Do you understand that?!”

“I-” Peter tries to get in, but Tony is having none of it. 

“You never think, Peter! You jump in feet first without considering the consequences!” Peter wishes he could say he’s never heard this argument from his dad before. But the truth is they’ve had this fight dozens of times before. Often with Peter being more injured than he currently is. “You can’t keep taking stupid risks-”

“Those are big words coming from you, dad,” Peter snaps, his eyes meeting with Tony’s for the first time since they got home. It’s these same stupid accusations and meaningless words that keep them circling in the same fight over and over again. But Peter is not backing down now, not even as tears fill his eyes, “I had to watch you fly into a wormhole when I was seven years old!” Peter jumps to his feet, shouting just as loud as his father. “I thought you were dead! And today I thought you got hurt! I couldn’t let you die!” 

“I’m not your responsibility!” Tony steps towards his son, leaning down over him. Peter cowers, ducking his head once more. “You are mine! Not the other way around. You were supposed to be safe in the quinjet! You were supposed to stay there so I wouldn’t worry about you and you wouldn’t distract me!” Tony stops shouting and looks down at his son: Peter is shaking. He knows his father won’t hit him, but with his sensitive hearing, it makes every fight ten times worse. Tears stream down his cheeks. Tony sighs, “Go to your room, Pete. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

Tony walks away quickly, leaving Peter alone in the living room, tears flowing down his cheeks. He runs into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. 

He’s been fighting with his dad so often now, almost every day, that he’s used to it. He’s used to his dad telling him to go to his room until morning and never getting apologies. Deep down Peter knows he deserves it. He knows that he deserves his dad yelling at him and all of the horrible things that come with it because his dad is right. He keeps messing up. 

_He’s made of stone_ , Peter thinks. Every time they fight Peter is like this. He’s angry and upset and a mess. What does his dad do? Goes to his workshop. Continues on with his life like he didn’t just fight with his son. When Peter was little and he would upset his dad, Tony would always come into his room later, give him a big hug, and tell him that he was sorry. That’s all Peter wants. He only wants one of his dad’s tight hugs with his ear over the arc reactor to hear the familiar hum. 

But that has yet to happen after a fight. 

In the morning the most Peter can hope for is for Tony to squeeze his shoulder or kiss his temple.

 _Does he even love me anymore?_ The horrible thought presses into Peter’s mind as if it was implanted there. But yet Peter can see the reason in the words. He can feel the truth thrumming between each syllable and vowel. His dad doesn’t love him.

Peter bites into his lip painfully as he tries to stop his sobs. By the time he’s done crying, his pillow is soaked. He cries himself to sleep that night. 

* * *

The second Tony is in his lab, he throws a wrench across the room, breaking into two pieces against the concrete. Tony crumbles to his knees, sobbing. When Peter was born he promised he wouldn’t be like his dad. He would be better. He would never hurt his son or raise his voice at him or ever make him feel like he wasn’t good enough.   
But he did every single one of these today. And he has done every one of these every day for the past month. 

How could Peter not hate him? 

He should. 

Peter should hate him. Just like he hates his dad. 

“FRIDAY?” Tony asks. “What is Peter doing right now?” Because Tony wants to punish himself. He already knows what Peter is doing. But he hurt his son, _his child_ , so he deserves it. 

“Peter is crying into his pillow,” FRIDAY says tentatively. “He is beginning to exhibit signs of a panic attack but he is starting to fall asleep so he should be alright in a few moments.”

Tony slams his hands into the ground. He doesn’t care if he hurts himself anymore. He pounds his fists over and over again into the concrete floor until his knuckles are broken and bloody, screams tearing through his throat. 

He said he wouldn’t be like Howard. 

And yet...the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

“Boss?” FRIDAY says, “Peter is having a nightmare, he’s calling out for you.”

* * *

In his dream, Peter’s hands are tied behind his back. Everything is dark. In front of him is his dad, on his knees in front of a dark figure with a gun pressed to his temple. His face is blank, showing no fear or emotion in the slightest.

“Dad?” Peter asks, struggling against the ropes holding him in place. “Dad, what’s going on?”  
  
“I’m going to die, Peter. And it’s all your fault,” Tony’s voice is cold and devoid of emotion. “But, Peter, before I die, I want you to know the truth.” Tony lifts his head to make eye contact with his son, Peter lurches against the ropes. His dad’s gaze is empty. “I never loved you.”

Peter sobs, pulling harder, his wrists ache from the strain. “Dad, that’s not true,” Peter cries. “You love me, I know you do!”

“No. I. Don’t.” Tony’s cold eyes seem to stare straight to Peter’s heart. 

With a loud bang the gun goes off and Tony crumples to the ground. Blood soaks the floor as a scream tore through Peter’s chest. 

“Dad!” Peter’s screams again. 

“Peter!” Someone shouts, echoing in the back of his mind. Peter can feel himself waking up as someone roughly shakes his shoulder. His eyes fly open with a gasp and he finds himself looking directly into his father’s eyes. Unlike previously, Tony’s eyes are full of emotion as he looks at his son. 

Peter doesn’t even have time to question himself before he throws himself into his dad’s arms. He knows Tony will likely push him away and tell him to get over it, but his dad’s alive. He’s alive and he’s okay and he’s here. And all Peter wants is comfort, for someone to tell him it’s okay. So Peter hugs him fiercely, head hiding against his father’s chest, just like it always has; the same way his dad held him as a child.

To his surprise, Tony’s grip on him is just as tight, “Are you alright, Pete? What happened?”

“I had-I had a nightmare,” Peter cries into Tony’s chest. “You-you died and you said...you said-” Peter cuts himself off with a sob. 

Tony brushes his fingers through Peter’s sweaty hair, “Shh, it’s alright. What did I say?” This is the most gentle Peter has heard Tony in weeks and this soft voice works it’s effect, drawing the truth out of him.

“You said-said you didn’t...you didn’t love me,” Peter chokes out, clinging ever tighter to his dad. 

“Oh, bambino,” Tony whispers softly. “You know that’s not true right?” Peter doesn’t respond. He knows it’s true. Of course it is. Tony holds Peter tighter. “ _Peter_ , you know it’s not true right?”

“I-I don’t know,” Peter pulls out of his dad’s arms and looks at his hands.

“Peter,” Tony gently reaches up to touch Peter’s cheek, thumbing away his tears, “I love you. You are my son and I love you more than life itself. You hear me? I love you more than anything else in the entire world, Peter.” Peter doesn’t look up. He doesn’t want to see the cold in his dad’s eyes.

“But-but I keep making you angry,” Peter tries to keep his voice as steady as he can. “We keep fighting and-and-” Peter’s voice becomes so unstable that he cuts himself off in fear of crying again. 

“Listen to me, Peter,” Tony says. “I love you. I love you even if we’re fighting. I love you even when you mess up. I love you even when you piss me off. Because you’re my son. There is nothing you could do that would make me love you any less.”

“Really?” Peter asks looking up at his dad with hopeful eyes because surely that’s not true.

Tony smiles, “Really.” Tony gently cradles Peter’s cheek, “I’m so sorry if that wasn’t clear, Bambi.”

Peter throws his arms around Tony’s neck and presses himself back into a tight hug, “I don’t want to fight anymore,” Peter cries against his dad’s chest. 

“Me either, kid,” Peter feels Tony’s cheek rest against the top of his head. “I’m sorry I’ve been so upset with you recently, you don’t deserve it.”

Peter shakes his head, “But I do. I keep taking stupid risks and-”

“Listen to me first, cucciolo,” Tony pulls Peter back and squeezes his hands. “I am the adult in this situation. I shouldn’t keep picking fights with you. Yeah, you make mistakes, but you’re just a kid. As your parent, it is my job to tell you when you mess up. But I shouldn't yell at you, Pete. I shouldn’t take out my frustration on you.” Tony sighs and squeezes Peter’s hand. “When you were a baby I promised you that I’d be nothing like my dad, that I would try to do better. And I haven’t. And I’m sorry for that. And I swear I will do better. So-” Tony pat’s Peter’s leg “-from now on I promise no more fighting. We’ll have rational discussions about your mistakes and I’ll explain my side and you’ll explain yours, okay?”

“No more yelling?” Peter asks quietly. 

“No more yelling.” Tony confirms. He brushes away the last of Peter’s tears, “Think you can go back to sleep now, bambino?”

Peter nods, laying down again as Tony pulled the blankets over him. Tony leans down and kisses the top Peter’s curls, letting his hand linger on Peter’s arm before he starts walking towards the door. But just as Tony makes it to the door, a soft voice stops him, “Will you stay?”

Tony turns around and he realizes how young Peter looks, he’s still the same kid that melted his heart in the hospital. Tony smiles, “Of course, Bambi.”

He gently pulls back the covers and slides into the bed beside his son. Immediately Peter is curled up against Tony, his head tucked under his chest. 

“I love you,” Tony whispers, pressing a kiss to Peter’s head. 

Peter smiles, “I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comment if you enjoyed this! Comments keep me writing and every single one makes my day better :)
> 
> Come say hi on tumblr! @romeoandjulietyouwish


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